reality
by slade017
Summary: Is all of this real, is it a dream, am i going mad?
1. Chapter 1

First Higurashi when they cry fic

(If it seems hard to grasp what's going on then I wrote this fic the right way, some spoilers if you haven't fully watched when they cry)

_My name is Jonathon Chains I live in the UK, London to be specific, I'd say I have an average enough life, I go to an average school live in an average house and do all around average things. One thing I do enjoy is watching the occasional anime and horror show so anything that does both together usually gets my attention._

John sat down and watched a new one he'd been watching for a while now "So that's what was going on the whole time. Interesting plot twist."

"John come on, lights out!" his mother called.

"Right, right" he turned off the TV and went to bed.

The next day he woke up not to his alarm but to the sound of cicadas.

'Cicadas in London? Maybe it's just mum pulling a prank.'

"John get ready, Rika will be waiting for you!"

John was too sleep-deprived to notice what she just said and got dressed for the day and went to the front door and opened it to a country village. John shut the door and then slowly opened it again and saw the same. He shut the door again 'I must've gotten less sleep then I thought' he opened the door again and stepped outside, the country was still there. "Mum."

"Yes?" she appeared.

"Where are we?"

"At home in Hinamizawa."

"…okay, okay I get it, jokes over call out the camera crew" said John.

"There is no camera crew" said his mother "now go on don't keep anyone waiting."

"Mom I'm serious now this is no longer funny" said John.

"I'm not your going to be late for school" she said "now go."

"But this-" she shoved him outside and shut the door on him. "What is going on?" John went the route he remembered from the show and made sure to not speak to anyone. That was difficult though with everyone saying hi to him and calling him by name.

He made it to the school and was let in; no-one seemed to object to some foreign stranger entering the place.

"Hey John" said a familiar voice.

"Mion Sonozaki."

"Huh, what's with the full name?"

'Calm down this is all just a dream yeah I'll wake up at some point.'

"Are you feeling alright, you look a little pale" said Mion.

"N-not a lot of sleep" said John. He saw Rika come in as well and then something that made his blood really run cold. There was a horned girl floating around her. John sat down quickly.

"Are you sure your feeling alright, maybe you should lie down."

"Yeah maybe I should." He went to the nurse's office and sat down. "Okay stay calm everything will be fine. This is all just a dream, just a dream, go to sleep and you'll wake up."

John went to sleep and soon woke up, he checked his watch and saw it was seven o clock and he was back in his room. John checked outside and saw London as he expected. Just to be on the safe side he asked his mother about Hinamizawa and she asked where that was.

"All just a dream" John walked outside and headed off to school "nothing at all to worry abo-" he was hit by a speeding car and flew into a phone booth. He blacked out.

"John, John!" John woke up and saw Mion and Satako looking down at him. He jumped up and was surprised by the lack of pain or injuries.

"Is…is this hell?" asked John.

"Uhh…"

"Hey just because I'm here doesn't mean this is hell!" yelled Satako.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that Satako" said Keiichi.

"Who asked you?!"

John checked his watch and saw the time "Its…it's…"

"You slept through the whole day" said Mion.

"This…this can't be this doesn't make any sense" said John.

"You must've been really tired to sleep through the whole day" said Rena.

"Sleeping but I-I was in London I got hit by a car why would I still be here?!" everyone looked at each other.

"John you've been here the whole time you never left the nurse's office" said Mion.

"Yeah we even came by to check on you more than once" said Keiichi.

'No, no this is a dream wake up, you are not in a class A death trap known as Hinamizawa, wake up!'

"Wow that must've been a pretty vivid dream for him to think it's that real" said Rena.

"Shut up! Shut up hallucination you do not exist now go away. This is just a dream I'll soon wake up from."

"He really has it bad" said Rika.

"Well luckily I know what will make him feel better" said Mion "time for club meetings again."

"The club?" asked Keiichi.

"Yeah the after school club we're all a part of" said Mion.

"What's it do?"

"It plays games after school" said John.

"John you ruined the cool speech I was going to give" complained Mion "but at least you're getting back to normal."

"Back to normal, why does everyone keep acting like I've lived here for years?"

"Seriously John if this is an act cut it out" said Satako.

"Look at this" Rika showed him a picture of him in a class photo from last year.

"But this…this is…"

"Come on we can still get a game in before our show is on" said Mion.

"Our show?" he was dragged out of bed and into the class room that was now the club's.

"Okay now since we're just welcoming Keiichi into the club and John is having problems let's stick to something simple" Mion went through the cupboard and went through old games John remembered seeing on the show.

'So this is all a hallucination then.'

"Is Old Maid good?"

"That's fine by me" said Keiichi ignoring John's warning signals.

"Okay then" she dealt out all the cards and something was off. John knew he hadn't done this before yet he could remember which card was which perfectly. Every single crease, every bend as if he'd done this tons of times. He saw the transparent horned girl behind Rika look at him worriedly and looked away before Rika noticed it.

'What the hell is going on?'

"Hey all these cards are old and bent" said Keiichi "you wouldn't by any chance have them all memorized would you?" all the girls giggled evilly "oh come on that's not fair!"

"If you're not cheating you're not trying" said John trying to seem normal to everyone.

"Like he said you must do anything to win" said Mion.

"The loser plays a penalty game" said Rena.

"So do whatever you have to, to win" said Satako.

"You're doomed" said John.

"Try your best Keiichi" said Rika.

"Okay I will!"

Just like in the show Keiichi lost miserably.

"Now the penalty game" said Mion. John shrugged and thought more about this situation and how disturbing it was.

'On the chance this is real have I been infected already?' in which case his panicking might be inducing the syndrome already and the thought of that wasn't helping.

"Just in time the show will be on" said Mion. She got the TV out and plugged it on.

"What TV show is this?" asked Keiichi.

"Some reality show from Britain" said Rena "we caught John watching it once and we got hooked." John watched what was his own school, his class schedule, his street, his house, his room down to the exact detail all done with a comedy edge to it.

"And sometimes they go to other places in Europe" said Mion.

'Calm down, calm down if you've already got the syndrome don't make it worse' thought John, easier said than done.

John went home soon after making sure to remain as un-paranoid as possible again easier said than done.

"I'm back" said John.

"Welcome home" said his mother.

"Say mom, how long have we lived in Hinamizawa?"

"How long? My, my its' been so long since we moved it feels like we always lived here, but I'm sure we moved here when you just turned 5 so it's been at least 10 years."

"That long?"

"We have photos a lot of them are in your closet remember?"

"Right, right of course they are" John looked through all of those. So many pictures of himself along with Mion or Rena and both and then more recently Satako and Rika came into them too. "Just what is going on here?"

He tried going back to sleep again, maybe in the morning he'd wake up back in London and this would be over.


	2. Chapter 2

First Higurashi when they cry fic 2

John woke up and checked outside he was still in Hinamizawa.

'Okay calm down try to organize your thoughts before you start the syndrome.' He opened a note book and wrote down what he knew. 'Okay you're in the first arc, the cotton drifting festival will start soon don't get paranoid or that will cause the syndrome. Okay I'm in a class A death trap full of crazies that might let loose at any moment and my whole life has probably been a lie but that's no reason to get' his vision got blurry and he grabbed his arm as it started to itch a bit 'calm down it's not real calm down it's not real!' after about five minutes of deep breathing and resisting the urge to scratch the itch calmed down and went away. 'This won't be easy.' John heard an apology being given to him by Hanyu who was following him now.

John walked over to school that day trying his best to ignore her. Her apologizing when someone was losing their minds didn't help. Just for that he went back pretending he had forgotten something and packed extra food and made sure it had some spice to it.

John spied a machete nearby 'I have no guarantee others won't go mad like Keiichi, but if I get it I might get paranoid of others but then again I have the right too…no their good people it's the syndrome activated by paranoia but just because I'm not paranoid doesn't mean others won't be, but does that make me paranoid that they'll be-'

"John!" he jumped and spun around, it was just his mother "get going you're going to be late."

"Right of course" he left for school again. 'Stay calm, stay as calm and normal as possible.'

He got to school and was greeted by everyone.

"Hi John are you feeling alright today?"

"Y-yeah sorry about yesterday everyone I switched to a different sleeping medication recently and there were side effects" he said as an excuse.

"Oh that's what that was."

"Man and I was hoping he was going crazy so we could get one of those jackets" said Satako.

"Don't say that it's good that he's not going crazy" said Rika.

'By now Keiichi has heard of the murder so the syndrome might already be taking hold. If I stay the hell away then I get paranoid he's going to snap and I'll be affected and if I try to help I risk getting killed, damned if I do damned if I don't.'

"John, John!" Mion waved a hand in front of his face.

"Right that reminds me I brought breakfast for everyone."

"You did, since when?" asked Satako.

"So nice of you" said Rena.

"Almost too nice" said Mion "you're not planning a prank on us are you?"

"Of course not" 'just one of you' He could see Hanyu panic and beg Rika not to eat any of it "just doing something nice for those I like to make up for yesterday." He handed out samples to everyone but Satako.

"Hey what about me?"

"I said people I like" said John, she fumed "I'm kidding here's yours." Keiichi couldn't help but laugh.

"What's so funny?!"

"I can't help it its' just funny that you come from different countries yet you act so much like…" this time he caught John's warning signs "is something wrong?"

"These are a little spicy but good" said Rika, Hanyu was suffering behind her.

"They're not that bad, I mean these things are…are weak I can…handle them" Satako was tearing up and turning red "SPICY!" she breathed fire and ran to the garden hose for a drink.

"I couldn't resist" said John "it was only her's that had extra spice the rest are fine."

"That was a little mean, but funny" said Rena.

"You know she's going to switch from Keiichi back to you right?" asked Mion.

"Totally worth it" said John "she'll only do it for a while before switching back to him anyway" John stopped himself, since when did he know so much about Satako's character? Sure he'd watched the show but this was too much.

"Yeah that sounds like Satako" the bell rung and they got to class for the day and then met afterwards with the club.

"So there's going to be a festival?" asked Keiichi.

"Yeah the Cotton Drifting Festival" said Mion.

"So what happens at this cotton drifting festival?"

"We put cotton in the river" said John.

"And?"  
"That's it" said John.

"Well that sounds boring."

"John its way more than that!" yelled Mion "there's also the annual club activities we do when we get there."

"And Rika's dance don't forget that" said Rena.

"You'll be there won't you John?"

"Of course I'd never miss that" said John.

"Yeah last year you saw it even after getting stabbed" said Rena.

"You got stabbed?" asked Keiichi.

'Apparently' thought John that would explain the scar he had under his shirt he'd never been stabbed in his world though.

"The club got attacked by a mugger on our way to see Rika's dance" said Mion "or was it a kidnapper or a rapist?"

"He wanted Rena" John reminded her, he was trying to stop being surprised at these memories he'd never lived popping up but it was difficult.

"Right and he pulled out a knife and John took a stab when we refused to get the knife away. That allowed me to beat him down" said Mion. "Yet even with the knife still stuck inside of him John still went to see Rika's dance and refused to have it removed till it was over."

"That was still too dangerous" said Rika "you shouldn't nearly kill yourself just to see the dance."

"Gave me a battle scar" said John.

"Which is exactly the kind of spirit we need for this club" said Mion "we go to any lengths to make the most of the festival."

"All of a sudden I don't know if I should go" Keiichi was sweating. John was hopeful but Mion swiftly dashed those hopes.

"You're a member of this club and more importantly a citizen of Hinamizawa you have to" said Mion "Don't worry it only happened once."

"Looks like there's only one boy in this club after all" Satako teased.

"I'll show you!"

"Good then everyone's coming" said Rena.

"I fell right into that one didn't I?"

"Don't you get stabbed this year" said Rika.

"I won't."

"And if you do you go straight to the hospital I'll be watching you during the dance if I see you breathing heavily and drinking tons of water I'm stopping the dance" Rika threatened.

"Breathing heavily and drinking tons of water?" asked Keiichi.

"The best way of preventing circulatory shock" said John.

"No" Rika turned John back to her "promise me."

"I promise" said John.

"Good boy" she patted him on the head.

"So we can all go and do our club activities at the street stalls" said Mion "a great way to really get Keiichi exposed to Hinamizawa."

"The wrong parts of it."

"What was that John?"

"Nothing just thinking out loud" said John.

He went to bed that night thinking how to stop the festival from turning Keiichi or himself into raving murderous lunatics and woke up the next day and checked and saw London.

"You must be kidding."

His phone vibrated and John checked and saw the message _'don't miss the festival John.' _John put the phone down fast.

"John you need to get going" his mother shouted. John checked and saw the message wasn't there then a new message was sent _'hurry back or Rika will be upset.' _John reached for his arm which was starting to itch.

"John!"

"C-coming" he got everything and left and made sure to look both ways before crossing the street this time. 'Keep calm it's just the disease playing with you. No wait that's just a show none of its real so the disease shouldn't be real either! Does this mean I'm really going crazy?'

He was greeted at his school and everyone seemed normal as he entered the first class for the day.

'What am I thinking; I just need to calm down. Everything is just in my head the result of watching too much anime that's all it is.'

The teacher came in to start Japanese class.

'In a class I'm at the bottom of that's fine for me for a change' thought John.

"Mr. Chains" the teacher directed her ire towards him _"if you can't ace the test today you'll be failing this course,_ why don't you tell the class what I just said and respond?"

"Tell them? You said it loud enough if I didn't ace the test I'd fail" said John. There was surprise on his teacher's face.

"_He probably guessed what I said of course like he'd ever learn in this class."_

"Hey I can still hear I didn't guess what you were telling me" said John shocking his teacher again.

"_Okay then what's 48 divided by 24 and then raised to the power of four?"_

"16 but what's that have to do with Japanese?" asked John. His teacher had to use her desk to steady herself.

"O-okay we'll just hand out the test then" John prepared for it all to be in complete gibberish known as Japanese and got the test in front of him and stared in shock.

'I-I can read it?' it was still in Japanese yet it was completely clear to him as if it were written in English. 'Wait back at the school what language was I writing in?!' he'd just been doing the motions and not really paying attention to what he was doing. He tried writing in Japanese as he was supposed to and it was all coming naturally to him as if he'd been doing it for years.

He heard cicadas in the background as he was writing to try and keep himself sane.

"This…this is" his teacher looked over it "it's all right…okay that does it your coming with me no way you got this good so quickly" John saw sharp nails coming towards him and lashed out knocking her down and ran out the class room. He ran and then slipped and fell and felt his head hit a 'wet floor' sign. He blacked out.

John woke up and he was back in bed. The cicadas were still singing outside. John checked and it was Hinamizawa again.

"What's real and what's not?"

"John, Rika is here she's waiting for you!" his mother called.

"R-right I'll be down soon" he responded.


	3. Chapter 3

First Higurashi when they cry fic 3

"How are you feeling today John?" asked Rika.

"I'm not sure right now" said John as they walked towards school.

"Just make sure you don't get hurt in the festival this year" said Rika.

"I won't" said John. The festival came sooner than expected and the club participated in the games at all the booths just as Mion planned. Then came Rika's dance and the actual drifting of the cotton. It was all going as normal. Then as soon as the girl's left Keiichi approached him.

"John have you got a minute?"

"Sure, what do you need?"

"You weren't born in Hinamizawa either so I need to ask, do you know anything about a murder that occurred at the old construction site?"

This was a big moment, if he didn't answer others would tell him and he'd go into paranoia and if he did there's a chance it would happen anyway. 'At least one way there's a chance' "yes the manager of the dam construction project was killed there why do you ask?"

"So there really was a murder there, I wonder why no-one talks about it?"

"The murderers were all Hinamizawa residents, and this is a close knit village if you haven't noticed no-one enjoys talking about such things."

"Okay yet I heard one of the body parts is still missing what do they mean?"

"It was six assailants, they cut the body into six pieces and each took one, they all confessed except for one who is still on the run."

"He's really still out there?"

"Yeah but there's no chance of him coming back here" said John "first place police would look after all."

"Right" said Keiichi calming down.

"Listen, don't think about any murders that occur it puts everyone on edge" said John "just enjoy the festival."

"Yeah okay" the rest came back. Keiichi avoided speaking to Tomitake and Takano so that should be mission accomplished.

The next day after school it was more club time.

"Okay it was John, he did it in the classroom with a revolver" said Mion revealing the cards showing just that.

"No fair" cried Keiichi.

"You're just too good at this game" said Satako.

"I'm the one that got accused of murder here why are you guys mad?" asked John.

"You're a good murderer though" said Rika.

"Alright just one more game, come on!"

"You really want to embarrass yourself again?" asked John, he'd won 3 games.

"I'll win this time right after I use the bathroom" Keiichi left and John knew why this seemed familiar. He mentally cursed for forgetting about that.

John used an excuse of not feeling well again and went to the nurse's office and made sure to listen in.

"Have you seen this man?"

"Mr. Tomitake?"

"What about this woman?"

"I don't know her but I'm sure I saw them together at the cotton drifting festival."

"And that's the last you saw of them?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well the thing is: Tomitake is dead" said Ooishi.

"Wh-what, dead?!"

"Yeah from a suicide" said Ooishi "and the woman Takano Miyo, she's gone missing."

"But how did that happen?"

"With Tomitake it's no mystery he clawed out his own throat, to the point that some of his finger nails actually peeled off. People are saying it's the curse of Oyashiro."

"What's that?" asked Keiichi.

"You honestly don't know? This is the fifth year running that someone died on the night of the cotton drifting festival."

"The-the fifth?"

"Yep, it's a trend that started with the murder of the dam manager, the year after that a couple was shoved off an over pass the year after that the priest of the shrine died of a mysterious illness and last year a house wife was found beaten to death."

"And this year it's Tomitake?"

"Yep and all on the day of the cotton drifting festival" said Ooishi."

"Because of this Oyashiro?"

"The guardian deity of Hinamizawa, its believed it's his punishment for trying to flood the village, the couple that were murdered supported the dam project, the priest defended that couple from violence and the house wife was the younger sister of the husband in that couple. Tomitake is the only that doesn't fit so far."

"All-all these murders" said Keiichi slowly. John was nearly hitting his head against the wall. Ooishi was throwing all his efforts down the crapper.

"So many here say it's the curse, do you believe that?"

"No of course not there's no way curses could exist!"

"Good answer that's why I contacted you" said Ooishi "I'd like you to help with the investigation. I need someone on the inside that doesn't believe in curses."

"Then what about John, he's not from Hinamizawa he could help."

John could here Ooishi grunt in disapproval "you're better off not telling any of your friends what we talked about."

"Why not?"

"Mion Sonozaki's family is part of the three great families of Hinamizawa they were the biggest alliance against the dam project. Sonozaki herself was arrested a few times during protests. Then there's Satako Hojo it was her parents that were murdered on that over pass. Rika Furude is part of the Furude family whose also part of the three great families. And Rena Ryuugu just strikes me as the kind that can't keep a secret."

"Well you'd be right there" Keiichi admitted "but you didn't mention John, he's not from this village not even the country surely we could trust him right?"

"How much do you know about the Chains family?" asked Ooishi.

"Besides that they came from the UK not a whole lot."

"Well their last name isn't Sonozaki but it might as well be" said Ooishi.

"What do you mean?"

"This man" Ooishi showed another photo "is David Chains, your friend's father. He was transferred here around ten years ago to serve as an accountant for a bank branch set up in Tokyo as part of a multi-national bank. Exactly what happened is unknown but the branch went under and he got the blame for it."

"What happened then?" asked Keiichi.

"The bank abandoned the family in Japan; Maria Chains was fired from her job once the whole thing broke out. No-one wanted to hire them because of the bank thing so David Chains desperately looked for work and found the Sonozaki family. Their accountant had died recently due to cancer so they needed a new one. He begged them to give him a chance, they gave him some kind of trial run and he passed. Ever since he's been the Sonozaki family's trusted accountant, not a single yen goes in or out of their accounts without him knowing about it. And shortly after that the Sonozaki's needed a new personal physician after theirs retired so Maria Chains was hired for a trial run and passed."

"So both of John's parents work for Mion's family?"

"Yes in fact the house they live in was a gift from the Sonozaki family and is on their land too so you can see why I would lump those two families in together right?"

"Yeah…I see."

"There's that and the fact that Chains is close with Mion Sonozaki, whenever she was arrested he was also taken in right alongside her."

"Always?"

"Yep it's also thought the family is close to the Furude's too."

"Then that story…"

"What story?"

"Well I was told that at last year's festival John got stabbed yet he still saw Rika perform before getting any medical attention."

"And Sonozaki was with him when this happened?"

"Y-yeah…"

"Thought so, he's thought to be something of a body guard for her for that reason" said Ooishi

"Really?"

"It's the way he reacts that gets my attention" said Ooishi "watch him next time he gets shocked or sees something off he tends to reach to the side of his chest like he's going for a gun you'd conceal in a jacket pocket and the left hand will reach into his left pocket as if going for a small knife or a Suntetsu."

John reacted in shock and was even more surprised to see he'd reacted in precisely that way, but he'd never done that before. Then he felt the Suntetsu in his pocket and quickly put it back before anyone saw.

"Really he doesn't act like a normal civilian kid he's received training of some kind and there's also the other rumor of what the Sonozaki's want him for."

"What other rumor?"

"Think of it this way, the Sonozaki heir is female meaning normally she'll lose her family name upon marriage. Yet if you have someone like Chains whose close enough for marriage and all too happy and loyal enough to take his wife's maiden name then the problem is solved isn't it?"

"So John and Mion…"

"Again it's just a rumor" said Ooishi "I'm just making sure you realize it. He may not be from this country but he's just as involved in what's going on as anyone else living here. So really it's just better that none of your friends know about this."

John sighed he'd learned more of his history in this village and things had just gone from bad to worse.

John quickly went back to everyone.

"Are you better now?" asked Rena.

"Yes" said John 'can't tell any of them about Keiichi without exposing to him that I was spying but I can't let things just run their course either.'

As soon as Keiichi came back John tried making things as normal as possible and preventing anyone else from bringing up the murders. It got harder and harder though with Rena suspecting she might be next to be hit by the curse.

The next day club activities were cancelled since Mion had to help her uncle and John quickly gathered all the cards before Keiichi saw Satoshi's. 'I'm not forgetting anything else am I?' while he was thinking he tripped and dropped all the cards. Keiichi helped him pick them up and saw Satoshi's.

"Satoshi?"

"He no longer goes here" John got that back.

"So he transferred out?"

"Well…" John looked around "He's missing actually" he whispered.

"Missing?"

"He's Satako's brother so don't mention it around her" said John. He needed to be mostly honest to prevent too much paranoia from coming.

"A-alright."

"So just a heads up if anyone pretends they don't know, that's why" said John.

He went to bed that day hoping for a better tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 4

First Higurashi when they cry fic 4

John woke up to Cicadas and checked outside and saw London.

"When will this end?" he put his face in his hands "just please let me be back home."

"John" he recognized that voice.

"Rika?" Hanyu was with her too.

"You shouldn't sleep in like that."

"W-what are you doing here?"

"To wake you up."

"But…but this is…" he checked and it was Hinamizawa outside.

"Why are you so worried?" John looked back and now Rika was much closer and had cat's eyes.

"R-Rika…"

"Were you thinking about London again?"

"No not at all…"

"You're lying, I don't like being lied to" she responded, she got closer "why even think about that place? Hinamizawa is your home now, you belong here with all of us" she got closer and pushed him down getting on top of him.

"Rika-"

"Don't worry John" she stroked his hair "the curse won't get you as long as you behave and never try to leave." Hanyu started apologizing and John grabbed Rika and held her close.

'It's not real it's just the syndrome not real just the syndrome!'

"J-John what are you doing?"

"John come on you need to go to-" his mother stopped when she saw their position.

"John something's poking me" said Rika. It was an uncomfortable talk before John could leave home that morning. Hanyu had at least calmed down.

'You need to remember it's just the syndrome you can beat it' thought John. Then Keiichi wasn't at school that day. 'This is the day he skips but didn't I prevent that? No it happens because Rena spies on him, damn it I didn't stop that!'

"Hold on he actually did that to you?!" asked Satako.

"I didn't mind" said Rika with a smile.

"John, who'd a thought you were such a predator?" asked Mion.

"I-is that what they call the Pedo-bear?" asked Rena.

"For the last time I am not a pedophile" said John.

"Speaking of them where's Keiichi?" asked Satako.

"His mother told me he's off sick today" said Rena. "I know I'll make him a get well gift."

"Not the best idea" John said quickly.

"Huh why not?"

"Because…" John searched through all his bull shit files for an answer "my mother has already taken a look at him and put him on a strict diet for the day."

"Oh I see" said Rena disappointed.

"So if anyone gets word of him breaking that just tell me" said John.

"Since when does your mother see to Keiichi's health?" asked Mion.

"Keiichi heard she was a doctor and went for her opinion is it that important to know?" asked John.

"…John are you hiding something from us?" asked Mion.

"You're acting pretty suspicious" said Rika.

"What could I be hiding?" asked John. 'The centuries old girl with a demon connected to her is saying I'm suspicious!?'

"Do you know something about Keiichi, is he in danger?" asked Rena.

The bell rung and John used that excuse to kill the conversation. Of course lunch came around the corner and they attacked him there.

"So spill it what do you know of Keiichi."

"Nothing is wrong Rena" said John "stop being paranoid."

"Are you sure nothing is wrong?" asked Satako.

"I just said that" said John.

"But are you really sure?" asked Mion giving him a closer look.

"Well…"

"I knew it!"

"Let me finish the sentence first" said John. "He's sick but it might also be because of me that he's skipping."

"Why would he skip because of you?" asked Satako.

"He's convinced that I'm planning to kill him" said John.

"Come again?" asked Mion.

"Why would he think that?" asked Rika.

"Detective Ooishi" that cleared it up for them.

"That guy again" said Mion "so he's putting ideas into Keiichi's head now."

"So it's just best none of us talk to Keiichi for a while, he might start thinking it's all part of Mion's plot to kill him."

"Hold on, why would he think I'm behind this!?"

"He knows my parents work for your family" said John. Mion grumbled "so when he comes back we just act like nothing is different."

"John do you think Oyashiro is stalking Keiichi?" asked Rena fearfully.

"If she is I ask her to quit it it's not helping" said John.

"But I must apologize" said Hanyu.

"Thinking you're being stalked by an implacable spirit doesn't really help with paranoia" said John.

"She…" said Rena "has Oyashiro spoken to you?"

That brought silence to the table and John mentally cursed his big mouth "of course not-"

"Liar!" Rena yelled.

"Hey Rena calm down" said Mion.

"You have heard Oyashiro, that's the only way you'd know Oyashiro is female" said Rena.

"John…" all eyes were on him now.

The bell rang signaling the end of lunch. John knew the talk wasn't over though since Rena persisted even at the club.

"So have you heard her, what did she say?"

"Isn't our show going to be on soon?" asked John.

"That wasn't what I asked" said Rena without any pleasantries.

"John" the rest were getting worried now "if you've really heard Oyashiro please tell us what she said" said Mion.

John chose his next words carefully "she kept saying I'm sorry, over and over" said John.

"She said that?"

"But not malevolently" said John "almost like she was begging for forgiveness. So I don't think she's behind the murders" that declaration certainly got attention and had Hanyu looking at him with hope "or if she is it's not willingly."

"So you don't think she's behind the deaths?" asked Rena.

"No, that's just not the feeling I get from her" said John.

"Then what is behind the murder's and disappearances?" asked Rika.

"To cause so many year after year it would have to be a powerful organization" said John "I have no idea what it wants by causing all this but Oyashiro is not behind all this I'm certain of it."

"I hope your right" said Mion grimly. John now had Rika's attention focused on him.

"I've heard Oyashiro too" she said "and I think John's right she can't be behind the murders or disappearances."

"Then if it's not Oyashiro then what could it be?" asked Rena.

"Something else" said John "oh I won."

"No way!"

"Now you have to do the punishment game Mion."

Mion grit her teeth. She was soon fanning the rest of them in an Angel Mort uniform.

"I will get you tomorrow" she grumbled.

"Till then get the TV out" said Satako "come on slave work."

Mion did just that muttering something about vengeance and soon enough the TV show of the real world was playing before John once again.

'Or is it the real world? I have memories of there but I have them here too…'

The cicadas sung in the background.


	5. Chapter 5

First Higurashi when they cry fic 5

John woke up in London once again "Back home I guess" he said, but only now it didn't feel like home now it felt unreal, John gulped at the thought. It was a weekend day that day so John looked around the room for something to entertain himself.

He found a comic book on the floor and had a read.

"Reality is a story the mind tells itself. An Artificial structure conjured into being by the calcium ion exchange of a million synaptic firings. A truth so strange it can only be lied into existence. And our minds can lie, never doubt it…"

The cicadas were heard in the distance and John reached for his throat. He stopped and turned on the TV in his room that should take his mind off of things.

It was a movie on called Inception. John just couldn't stop watching and the end of the movie felt like it was looking at him specifically.

'I should go outside' he thought. It was still London when he left the house and everything looked the same. He went into a restaurant for lunch and was greeted by a waitress.

"Greetings sir and welcome to Angel Mort" she said. John looked and saw Hinamizawa in the background again "Sir?"

"I-I'm fine" John sat down he got something quick and left and found himself back in London in front of an empty store. The food he got was still in hands though. "W-what the hell is going-" a car spun out of control and slammed into him.

"John, John!" John woke up at his desk back in Hinamizawa "quit sleeping it's time for the club."

"Sleeping, I-I was just sleeping?"

"You fell asleep half way through class, you must've been tired" said Rena.

"I see" John wiped his face clean of any marker.

"Kill joy" Satako grumbled.

"John just knows us too well" said Rika.

John noticed Keiichi keeping a good distance from them.

"As a long time part of this club I'd expect him to" said Mion "now come on gang it's time for more club activities!"

"Right" said John perhaps something a bit more normal and this was also the test of Keiichi. Keiichi came but kept as far from John or Mion as possible.

"So you're feeling better today right Keiichi?" asked Mion.

"Yep a lot better."

"Even though he was likely just taking the day off" said Satako.

"I was not, I was actually sick."

"Then why were you-"

"So what game is it today?" asked John cutting Rena off.

"The same since Keiichi missed a day and likely wants a futile chance at revenge."

"It's not futile I'll show you" he promised.

"Sure you will" Mion gave John a look promising revenge for yesterday. John shot a look back saying 'bring it on' "The same punishment game as yesterday."

"What's that?" asked Keiichi. The girls giggled when they looked at him.

"You'd better win Keiichi" said Rena.

"You really don't want that punishment" said Satako.

"W-what punishment?"

John soothed his headache, this just felt more normal to him now. More normal than London now, perhaps it was better here in Hinamizawa a death trap just waiting to spring on them the moment something happens to Rika, yeah that's right.

"John your move" said Mion.

"It was Rika in the Nurse's office with poison" said John. He'd bent the edges of some of the cards before he went home yesterday.

"He's right" said Rika checking them "that's one point for John."

"Clever but you won't be winning this time" said Mion. The cards were reshuffled.

"Mion in the classroom with a rope" said John.

"Right again" said Rika.

"Good you're fighting well" said Mion starting to figure it out "better do well Keiichi."

Keiichi won one game as John didn't really try till he did it again leaving Mion with no points for a change.

"Alright now I get serious" said Mion, she shuffled the cards a special way to ensure that the cards didn't have bent edges, but John was prepared for that he'd memorized which cards weren't bent. He had two, Rika asked her question and John guessed.

"It was Keiichi in the bathroom with a baseball bat."

"No way! I didn't win a single game!"

"You know what means" said John "this time we can have pictures as well."

"But-"

"You must take the punishment" said Satako.

"You must" said Rika.

"That's the rules" said Rena.

"Hold her down" John ordered.

"Wh-what are you going to do to her?" asked Keiichi.

"Something you'll never forget" said John.

Mion was soon in her Angel Mort uniform again serving them tea "would you like anymore tea…master?" she asked through clenched teeth.

"No you can sit on my lap for a picture instead like we agreed on" said John. Mion did so.

"I am going to get you for this" she said while keeping the forced smile.

"Totally worth it" said John, the picture got taken.

"Now come on slave our show will be on" said Satako. Mion grumbled as she went to set up the TV.

'Reality is just a story the mind tells itself' thought John as the show went on. 'And the mind can lie' Hanyu hovered over him worriedly.

"Are you alright?" Keiichi noticed it first.

"Oyashiro" said John "she's in this room."

That got the attention "you can hear her?" asked Rena.

"I can feel her because she keeps breathing on the back of my neck" said John. Hanyu backed up a bit but still hovered over him "thank you."

"So Oyashiro does exist?" asked Keiichi making John realize his mistake.

"She does yet she's relatively harmless."

"That's what John thinks" said Mion "even though she's supposed to be the guardian of Hinamizawa."

"And the one behind all the murders and disappearances" said Keiichi.

"It's not true I would never do that!" Hanyu cried.

"I have reason to doubt that" said John.

"What reason?"

"I'm still alive" said John.

"What do you mean, you're a citizen of Hinamizawa" said Satako.

"Yet Oyashiro is known for killing any and all outsiders and not only am I not from Hinamizawa I'm from the other side of the planet" said John "and I've lived here for at least ten years. So if Oyashiro is a monstrous demon god that kills any who dare not fit the narrative why hasn't she killed me yet? Seriously she's in the same room right next to me she could kill me right now if she really wanted."

"The theory is you're just an exception" said Mion "because of who you're with."

"I hope" said John. It wasn't good to push too much more.

"You don't need to worry John" said Rika "Oyashiro won't kill you."

"Thanks Rika that's more reassuring."

John went to bed that night with the night of Keiichi going mad being tonight. It was hard to not be worried and paranoid.

John woke up to an unfamiliar white room.

"What, what is this?"

"John" a doctor was over him.

"John" his mother was there now along with his father "thank goodness you're alright."

"Where am I?"

"The hospital" said the doctor "you were hit by a car and flew into a phone booth a week ago you've been in a coma since then."

"A coma?"

"Yes and now you've finally recovered."

"So everything was all just a coma dream" said John. 'I see the first time was a dream and then everything after that was just a coma world.'

"Yes you should be better now, we'll keep you overnight just to be on the safe side" they left and John shut his eyes. The lights turned out in the room. 'All just a product of my mind like it could've been anything else.' He opened his eyes a bit and then opened them wide as he saw writing on the ceiling.

_WHY DID YOU LEAVE JOHN?_

John's arms and legs were then restrained and a hand was put over his mouth.

"Don't worry John" Satako looked at him with cat eyes.

"You'll be back home soon" said Rika.

"He doesn't look too good Rena" said Mion as she kept his mouth covered "better start his treatment."

"Heeeeere's Rena! Ah ha, ha, ha, ha" she swung her hatchet down.


End file.
